For those of you who wish to own the series to re-watch whenever the mood strikes, you can also buy the Blu-Ray release of all 6 episodes from the official website: timeofeve.com/e/ (for US, Canada, EU)

One of the things that really struck me about Time of Eve was just how well it was able to blend both drama and humor together in a perfect balance, with both the cinematic camera angles and music contributing a great deal to setting the right tone and mood. The series is on the shorter side, with 6 episodes of 14-16 minutes each, except for the last episode, which was a longer 27 minutes. That being said, the format works really well, and it feels like a succession of short films, which actually follow each other very nicely, instead of being one of those works where the timeline is all out of order and you have to sort of guess where each episode fits in with the others.

The story is set in the future, where androids are indistinguishable from humans, except for a holographic ring that's required to be projected above the heads of androids. Most humans treat androids just as tools, but there exists a cafe where these boundaries are blurred, and even discouraged. At the Time of Eve cafe, the only rule is no discrimination between humans and robots, and so androids turn off their rings upon entering, meaning that it is difficult, if not impossible, to tell just who is human and who is an android.

Obviously, the themes of man vs. machine and AI are prominent throughout the whole story, but it's approached in a surprisingly casual and easy to digest manner. It certainly does make you think on the subject of just what it means to be human, but it doesn't delve so deep or try to hammer home a point so much so that it takes away from simply enjoying the story. If anything, it has a tendency to interrupt the dramatic and tense moments with some very well-timed comedic moments, complete with the music either starting or stopping right when the mood changes, and the appropriate camera pans and zooms at those moments.

Voice acting is superb throughout the series, with Jun Fukuyama as the lead character, Rikuo, Kenji Nojima as his best friend Masaki, and Rie Tanaka as Rikuo's household android, Sammy. The supporting cast is just as impressive, featuring Yukana as Akiko, one of the cafe regulars, and Tomokazu Sugita as another frequent customer, Setoro.

Overall, Time of Eve is a refreshing, light-hearted look at the line between humans and androids, and gives just enough insight without bogging down the storyline with what could be a potentially dark and depressive subject matter. And with the whole series clocking in at just about 100 minutes, it's short and sweet enough to digest in one sitting. If you're looking for a quick series with great direction, a hint of sci-fi and philosophy, and a fresh take on the man vs. machine matter, be sure to check out Time of Eve!

Time is Eve is available to all Crunchyroll members WORLDWIDE excluding Japan. Many thanks to our partners at Pied Piper for letting us make ALL 6 episodes available for EVERYONE (yes, that means free users as well!) for this month's catalog spotlight, until February 28, 2013, 11:59:59pm PST!

So for those of you who haven't seen this amazing series before, go and check it out before the month is up! And if you love it as much as I did, be sure to tell them on their Facebook page and Twitter @TimeofEve1!

This is easily not only one of the best anime's ever made, but one of the best works of fiction period. The use of humor, emotion, and intellect by this show sets the standard that other anime's should aspire too. A truly under appreciated gem.